


kickstart my heart

by sventeen



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's
Genre: Fluff, M/M, but kinda angst too, crow and jack are sort of there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-17
Updated: 2016-09-17
Packaged: 2018-08-15 11:50:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8055193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sventeen/pseuds/sventeen
Summary: yusei and bruno stay up way too late doing repairs, bruno is a big mushy gay





	kickstart my heart

It’s four in the morning and they haven’t spoken a word since midnight, thick silence interrupted only by metallic clinks and the clacking of keys.

At three, Crow had come down for just a moment, rubbing the bleariness from one eye with the side of his hand. “You two still at it?” he'd asked through a yawn, “do you guys just not ever sleep or something?”

Yusei had glanced up at him for a moment, as if to reassure him, before going back to work.

Bruno just mirrored the yawn and took another sip of coffee.

They’d been shut up in the garage since the early evening, fixing and programming and calibrating and re-calibrating. It’s kind of wild, really– Crow could never sit still that long. “Well, hope you at least remembered to eat,” he quipped before returning upstairs.

As the next hour proceeds, there are moments where Bruno seems to stop typing, only to resume shortly after. Yusei doesn’t pay it much mind until, around five, he realizes the sounds of the keyboard have halted completely.

“Bruno?”

There’s no response, so he sets his wrench down and gets to his feet. He’d thought maybe Bruno quietly retired for the night, not wanting to interrupt him, but he’s still sitting in his chair at the monitor. Yusei comes up next to him and leans in.

Bruno doesn’t quite appear to be asleep– his back is straight, and he’s got his hands resting on the keyboard. His eyes are even open, if half-lidded, but they’re hazy and unfocused, like he’s not really there. He doesn’t react to Yusei’s sudden appearance, and it leaves an uneasiness in the pit of his stomach.

“Hey,” and there’s still no reply. Yusei reaches out to nudge Bruno’s shoulder just as he begins to wonder if something’s really wrong, and the speed at which Bruno whips around to grab his wrist is inhuman.

There’s a sound like a shatter, and immediately Bruno lets go, eyes now wide and alert and full of panic. A few feet away, his mug lays in pieces, coffee splattered across the concrete. “A-Ah…! You… startled me…” His tone is sheepish, and red creeps into his face as he notices the broken mug.

“It’s fine. I didn’t mean to scare you.” Really, he’s glad whatever just happened was over so soon. Had Bruno held his grip any longer, Yusei’s sure his wrist would’ve snapped. “Let’s clean up and finish this tomorrow.”

Bruno shakes his head frantically. “N-No, wait, I’m the one who broke it, so I’ll clean it up!” At least, Bruno is pretty sure he’s the one who broke it– his memory of just moments ago is worryingly fuzzy. He stands and heads for the little tool closet in the back.

Despite the insistence, Yusei squats down by the mess and gathers up the larger pieces, taking them to the trash can just as Bruno arrives to the scene with a broom.

“I’m really sorry,” he says as he sweeps the smaller shards into a pile, “I mean, I just started zoning out and–”

“You don’t have to apologize. It’s late, and you’ve been staring at that screen for half a day. I don’t blame you for drifting off.” A part of him wants to probe further about the event– he’s never seen the other like that. Bruno’s already stressed out enough right now as it is, though, and he doesn’t want to add to it. He’s sure he’ll find out eventually.

Bruno laughs, awkward but warm. “Maybe we should learn to take breaks?”

“Probably,” Yusei says with a tired smile.

“Aw, but seriously, this was my favourite mug, too…” He leans forward and rests his chin on the tip of the handle, “and Jack’s already mad that Crow’s always using his. I definitely don’t want to get caught up in that…”

“Once we’re done with the upgrades, we’ll go find you another.”

Bruno perks up. “Oh, we should just have a big outing for a job well done! And we can invite everyone!”

“Sounds like a plan.”

The last remnants of the mug go from the floor to the dustpan, and from the dustpan to the trash, finally joining the rest.

After putting the broom away, Bruno plops down on the couch in the middle of the garage, dropping his head against the back with a sigh.

“At least lay down,” Yusei says.

“I’m too tired to move anymore,” Bruno whines in reply.

Yusei sits down next to him and leans back as well.

“Aren’t you going to go upstairs?”

“I’m too tired to move anymore,” Yusei parrots.

“Hah… I guess that makes two of us.”

As they sit there together, Bruno keeps glancing down at the mere inches that separate his hand from Yusei’s. Maybe if he were a bit less sleep deprived, such thoughts would be more hesitant to come to him, but right now, all he can think is that he really wants to close that distance. The idea is still a bit nerve wracking, though, and he’s not sure why. After all, they’ve held hands before–

Or, well, sort of. They’ve shaken hands, and high-fived, and done weird little cool-bro-hand-grips, and Bruno’s grabbed Yusei’s hands in fits of excitement before, aaaand okay actually, none of that is like holding hands at all. They’ve never held hands, at least the way Bruno is wanting right now, and he’s not doing a very good job of steeling his nerves here.

He’s only known Yusei for just this small amount of time, just these couple months, but in that time he feels as though he and Yusei have come to understand each other like they’ve been friends their entire lives. In all honesty, though, when he can’t remember anything prior to it, those couple of months might as well be his entire life. He doesn’t know what he had before, who he had before, but right now, he does have this. He has this garage, he has Team 5'Ds, and he has Yusei–

and, well– all things considered, there’s no use in being afraid, is there?

He moves his hand just those few inches.

His touch is ginger, almost noncommittal. He’s all prepared to apologize, to draw back and laugh and play it off like an accident, but without skipping a beat, Yusei’s hand twists to take his. His palms are rough, but his hold is firm and warm, and it’s unbelievably reassuring.

Bruno sighs shakily, but the smile on his face stretches from ear to ear. “I didn’t think it’d be that easy.”

“Remember to breathe.”

“Believe me, I’m trying!”

Though it’s gradually getting better, Yusei can still feel Bruno’s hand trembling in his own. His hold is completely different from earlier– not forceful and precise, but soft and a bit awkward, just like the Bruno he knows.

“How long were you thinking about doing that?”

“Uh… well, I mean, just for a few minutes here. But I guess I’ve kind of been thinking about it for a while, too? I’ve just also always thought it might be weird if I suddenly asked to hold your hand, you know?”

“I wouldn’t have minded.”

“Well, now that I know, maybe I’ll start asking more.”

Nothing else is said for some time. Bruno isn’t even sure Yusei is still awake when he asks, “Can I say something silly?”

“Sure,” Yusei mumbles.

“Maybe it’s just because I’m really, really tired… but… holding your hand, it kind of makes me feel like… like I might remember something.”

“That does sound pretty silly.”

“Aw, don’t make fun of me!”

Yusei chuckles sleepily and tightens his grip. “It’s alright, though. If you think it’ll help, we can do this as much as you want.”

“Really?”

“Of course. You should probably go to sleep first, though.”

“Only if you take your own advice!”

“Mmhmm.” Yusei closes his eyes. “Night.”

“Goodnight,” and Bruno’s almost too happy to sleep. Almost.

(In the morning, when Crow finds them passed out on the couch, fingers still entwined, he rushes back upstairs, flings Jack’s door open and exclaims, “I was right! And now YOU owe me lunch!”

They manage to sleep even through the ensuing squabble.)


End file.
